Moistening device



Jan 3U, A1945. A. BURCKHARDT ETAL 2,363,520

MOISTENING DEVICE Filed April 1a, 1942 PNK-r if ATTORNEY Patented-...lam 30, 1945 MOISTENING DEVICE Alfred Burckhardt and Francis J. Ronan, Stamford, Conn., assignors to Pitney-Bowes Postage Meter Co., Stamford, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Application April 1s, i942, serial No. 439,452

(ci. iii-4s) 6 Claims.

This invention relates to means for moistening the gummed flaps of envelopes or the like with a device such as disclosed in Patent Number 2,167,252, and more particularly relates to the means for confining the gummed portion of an envelope flap against the slotted surface of a moistener blade.

In a blade type moistener of the character described in the above named patent,'water is adapted to be withdrawn from a narrow slot, located along the lower'surface of the blade.

' when the gummed surface of an envelope flap is moved thereacross. Water reaches the blade from a continuous source of supply and is maintained within the blade at subatmospheric pressure. This consequently. produces a slightly concave meniscus at the moistening surface of the slot.

sufficiently close confinement is desired between the gummed surface of a letter flap and slot in the moistening blade at the point of approach to the slot, to effect immediate contact between the leading edge of the gummed surface and the meniscus. With the contact once made, it is important to control the quantity of water withdrawal to satisfy the particular paper quality of envelope and gummed surface thereon. This has long been a problem but is accomplished according to the present invention by providing separate confining means at each side of the moistener slot, one in the form of a flexible leading-in confining member, which is adapted to urge the gummed portion of the flap against one edge of the slot to make contact with the meniscus. and the other in the form of a preferably rigid support to guide 4the flap after passing the slot. Each of these coniiner members is independently and adjustably mounted and hence each is capable of individual and accurate control.

It is the principal object of this invention therefore to provide in combination with a moistener blade having a moistening slot therein, one confining member having certain iiexible characteristics and arranging same in close proximity with one edge of the slot to e'ect close confinement between the gummed surface of an envelopeiiap and one edge of the slot, whereby immediate contact with the concave water meniscus at the end of the slot is assured, and to further provide a second confining member at a point removed from the opposite edge of the slot, and in such predetermined elevational relation thereto, as to promote continuous withdrawal of the desired quantity of water from the slot for effecting the proper softening of the entire gummed portion of the envelope flap.

It is a further object to provide a means of adjustment for the second coniiner portion, whereby the quantity of water Withdrawn is adapted to be minutely regulated.

It is a further object to provide independent adjustment for each of two coniiner members positioned at each side of a sealer blade to permit adjustment of one without affecting the other.

It is also an object to provide an adjustable braking means to control the range of flex of the exible confiner member.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that various changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of' what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing. wherein:

Fig. l is a plan view of the moistening device and confiner members, and further shows an envelope passing therethrough;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of Fig. 1 with parts broken away and parts in section;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged end elevational view with part in section, taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of a portion of Fig. 3 showing the moistening of the gummed surface of an envelope flap.

Referring to the drawing in detail. a moistener blade I0 is provided with a water inlet neck Ii at one end thereof. a water chamber I2, and a narrow longitudinal slot I3 having an inlet at the water chamber i2 and an outlet at the lower surface of the blade. Said blade is shaped with its upper surface tapered down to a chisel like end portion, as indicated at I4, and is suitably shaped at the lower surface thereof, such as by bevelling, to provide an easy approach for the letter flap to the slot. The neck II is fitted tightly within a supporting block I5.4 A pipe I8 also connected with the block i5, opposite the water inlet neck Il of the sealer blade, is adapted to be connected with a source of water supply in any convenient manner, or such as shown in the aforementioned patent. As described in the aforementioned patent, the normal water level is maintained below the slotted moistening surface o! the blade to thereby provide a supply within the chamber I2 and slot I3, after proper priming, at sub-atmospheric pressure.

The means for confining the gummed surface G of an envelope flap F against the moistening surface of the blade Ill comprises a lead-in or primary confiner member, generally indicated by the arrowat I'I, and a secondary confiner member, generally indicated by the arrow at I8. 'I'he primary confiner member comprises a preferably flat but nexible guide plate I8 having one edge thereof positioned adjacent to and in alignment with the slot I3, and having the other end wrapped around and fixed to a rod 2 I. Said rod 2| is supported by the block IB and has a reduced shank 22 which passes .through a suitable opening within the block. A slot 23 may also be provied in the end of the shank to permit adjustment through rotation of the rod 2l by means of a screw driver, and a nut 24 may be provided over a threaded portion 25 of the shank to lock the rod 2| and confiner plate I9 in any adjusted position.

As viewed from Fig. 3, it will be noted that the free edge of the confiner plate I9 is in proximity with one edge of the slot I3 and bears against the lower surface of the blade III.

Beneath the confiner plate I9, and at the forward end thereof, is a stop or brake shoe 23 which is fixed to the rod 2| and has one end projecting outwardly therefrom in such manner that the end thereof is positioned close but in spaced relation to the lower surface of the confiner plate I9. By means of a screw 21, a slight adjustment of the spacing between the `end of the shoe 26 and the lower surface of the confiner plate I 3, may be made.

The secondary confiner member IB preferably comprises a rod 28 having an eccentric shank 29 secured within a suitable opening in the block I5. Said shank 29 also has a slot 3| in the end thereof, whereby adjustment of the rod may be made, and further has a threaded portion 32 and a nut 33, whereby the rod 28 may be locked after adjustment.

Referring to Fig. 3, the rod 28 is shown in full lines with the upper surface thereof slightly below the plane of the moistening slot I3, andvis further shown in dot and dash lines in its extreme vertically adjusted positions, with the upper surface thereof above and below the moistening slot I3. Thus, the rod 28 offers a convenient means for guiding the gummed flap of the envelope after it leaves the moistening slot I3, and through the eccentric shank 2S, offers a quick and convenient means whereby adjustment may be made to provide greater or less confinement in accordance with the quantity of water which is required for proper moistening of the gummed surface.

In Fig. 4 the moistening of the gummed surface of an envelope flap is shown on an enlarged scale with the confiner members I9 and 28 normally in the positions shown in Fig. 3. Here it will be seen that the free end of the confiner plate I9 has been flexed slightly downward and that the pressure effected thereby causes the gummed surface to be urged against the right edge of the slot I3 with sufficient pressure to contact the water meniscus and effect withdrawal of the water. A

The secondary confiner member I8 is so arranged as to primarily act as a guide without necessarily applying pressure. This provides for the continuous free withdrawal of water to the gummed surface. Adjustment of the rod 23 to a higher position tends to effect a slight pressure to reduce the quantity of water withdrawal and adjustment to a lower position causes the gummed surface of the flap to be further removed from the moistening slot which increases the quantity of water withdrawal.

l. In a device for confining the gummed surface of an envelope flap against the moistening surface of a slotted moistener blade, a flexible leading-in confiner member comprising a plate positioned parallel to and at one side of the blade, said confiner plate having a straight edged portion maintained in constant parallelism with the slot in the blade and being normally flexed against one edge of the blade adjacent the slot. whereby an envelope flap upon being moved between said confiner plate and blade has its gummed surface urged toward the slot to effect contact between the gummed surface and water at the end of the slot, and whereby an equal pressure is effected at any position of the gummed surface along said slot, and a rigid confiner member spaced from the opposite side of the blade and maintained in constant parallelism with said slot. whereby the flap is guided relative and parallel to the slot in such manner as to effect free and uninterrupted withdrawal of water from the slot as the gummed surface is passed thereover.

2. In a device for confining the gummed surface of an envelope flap against the moistening surface of a slotted moistener blade, a flexible leading-in confiner member comprising a plate positioned parallel to and at one side of the blade, said confiner plate having a straight edged portion maintained in constant parallelism with the slot in the blade and being normally flexed against one edge of the blade adjacent the slot, whereby an envelope flap upon being moved Ibetween said confiner plate and blade has its gummed surface urged toward the slot to effect contact between the gummed surface and water at the end of the slot, and whereby an equal pressure is effected at any position of the gummed surface along said slot, means to provide for adjustment of the said confiner plate while maintaining said parallelism with the slot in the blade, a rigid confiner member spaced from the opposite side of the blade and maintained in constant parallelism with said slot, whereby the flap is guided relative and parallel to the slot in such manner as to effect free and uninterrupted withdrawal of water from the slot as the gummed surface is passed thereover, and means to provide for adjustment of said rigid confiner member relative to the moistening surface of the blade While maintaining parallel relation between said blade and rigid confiner member.

3. In a device for confining the gummed surface of an envelope ap against the moistenintr surface of a slotted moistener blade. a flexible confiner plate positioned parallel to and at one side of the moistener blade and having a straight edged portion maintained in constant parallelism with the slot in said blade, a rigid support for said plate. means to adjust said support to iiex the straight edged portion of the confiner plate against one edge of the blade adjacent the slot, whereby an envelope flap upon being moved between said coniiner plate and blade has its gummed surface urged toward the slot to effect contact between the gummed surface and water Having described the invention, what is claimed at the end of the slot, and whereby an equal pressure is effected at any position of the gummed surface along said slot, and a rigid confiner member spaced from and positioned parallel to the opposite side of the moistener blade, and means to provide adjustment of said rigid confiner member while maintaining constant parallelism with said slot, whereby the flap is guided relative and parallel to the slot in such manner as to effect free and uninterrupted withdrawal of water from the slot as the gummed surface is passed thereover.

4. In a device for confining the gummed surface of an envelope flap against the moistening surface of a slotted moistener blade, a support arranged to have the moistener blade project therefrom in a substantially horizontal position, a ilexible confiner plate positioned parallel to and at one side of the moistener blade and having a straight edged portion maintained in constant parallelism with the slot in said blade, a rigid support for said plate projecting from the moistener blade support, means to adjust said confiner plate support within the moistener blade support to flex the straight edged portion of the confiner plate against'one edge of the blade adjacent the slot, whereby an envelope flap upon being moved between said confiner plate and blade has its gummed surface urged toward the slot to effect contact between the gummed surface and water at the end of the slot, and whereby an equal pressure is effected at any position of the gummed surface along said slot, and a rigid confiner member projecting from said moistener blade support and positioned in a spaced and parallel relation to the opposite side of the moistener blade', and means to provide adjustment thereof to maintain constant parallelism between said rigid confiner member and said slot, whereby the ap is guided relative and parallel to the slot in such manner as to effect free and uninterrupted withdrawal of water from the slot as the gummed surface is passed thereover.

5. In a device for confining the gummed surface of an envelope ap against the moistening surface of a slotted moistener blade, a support arranged to have the moistener blade project therefrom in a substantially horizontal position, a flexible confiner plate positioned parallel to and at one side of the moistener blade and having a straight edged portion maintained in constant parallelism with the slot in said blade, a rigid support for said plate having one end mounted within the moistener blade support to permit pivotal adjustment about a horizontal axis and thereby flex the straight edged portion of the confiner plate against one edge of the blade adjacent the slot, whereby an envelope flap upon being moved between said confiner plate and blade has its gummed surface urged toward the slot t'o effect contact between the gummed surface and water at the end of the slot, and whereby an equal pressure is effected at any position of the gummed surface along said slot, and a rigid confiner member comprising a rod having an eccentric end adjustably mounted in the moistener blade support and positioned in a spaced and parallel relation to the opposite side of the moistener blade, said eccentric end being adapted to provide adjustment of the rigid confiner member to maintain constant parallelism between said rigid conner member and said slot, whereby the flap is guided relative and parallel to the slot in such manner as to effect free and uninterrupted withdrawal of water from the slot4 as the gummed surface is passed thereover.

6. In a device for confining the gummed surface of an envelope iiap against the moistening surface of a slotted moistener blade, a flexible leading-in confiner member comprising a plate positioned parallel to and at one side of the blade, said confiner plate having a straight edged portion maintained in constant parallelism with the slot in the blade and being normally flexed against one edge of the blade adjacent the slot,

whereby an envelope iiap upon being moved between said confiner plate and blade has its gummed surface urged toward the slot to effect contact between the gummed surface and water at the end of the slot, and whereby an equal pressure is effected at any position of the gummed surface along said slot, means including an abutment beneath the flexible plate to check the initial movement of the straight edged portion of the plate when moved away from the blade upon engagement of an envelope iiap therewith, and a rigid confiner member spaced from the opposite side of the blade and maintained in constant parallelism with said slot whereby the flap is guided relative and parallel to the slot in such manner as to effect free and uninterrupted withdrawal of water from the slot as the gummed surface passes thereover.

ALFRED BURCKHARDT. FRANCIS J. ROUAN. 

